This invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus for elongate strips for sheet material, and particularly to such apparatus that includes means for selectively feeding and cutting desired lengths of sheet material such as plastic film and the like in roll form.
A plastic film for which the invention particularly contemplates improved dispensing means comprises a flexible wax-rubber film composition interwound with paper. While the film is non-tacky, it is not slid readily across a surface. In the dispensing of such a film it has been found desirable to provide means for feeding the film from a roll, and a retractible cutting blade for severing the desired length of film.
The following U.S. patents are representative of the prior art, and are believed material to the examination of this application:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,975, in FIGS. 22 to 24, discloses a wall having a slot 80 through which a cutting edge 83 is moved to cut a tape section 79.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,274,977 and 2,450,496 disclose web dispensers including razor blades for cutting desired lengths of web.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,092,909 discloses a dispenser having an opening through which a user exerts finger pressure to dispense tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,076,635, in FIG. 2, discloses fillers or springs between sides of a tape dispensing container and a tape roll accomodating differences in widths between rolls and the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,847, in FIGS. 10 to 13, discloses adjustable means accommodating mounting of spools of different widths in a film supply magazine.
None of the references is concerned with a dispenser for a wax-rubber film composition having a non-tacky surface that resists sliding to the extent that it is difficult to dispense.
It is an objective of the invention to provide an improved dispensing apparatus for a roll of sheet material comprising a wax-rubber composition interwound with paper.
It is another objective of the invention to provide an improved combination dispenser-cutter apparatus for plastic sheet material.
It is a further objective of the invention to provide an improved sheet-material feeder in a dispenser-cutter apparatus.